Bit long ..... World Cup memories.

Am trying desperately to get myself in the mood and hope this doesn't become the first WC that truly passes me by.

1966 - I was born in Dec 65, so was only a bairn. There wasn't much live footie on TV in them days. My dad was going to watch the game on TV, my Mum was working. My dads only jobs that day were to go to the local Co-op and butchers, then wait for my Grandma to come and look after me whilst he got to watch the game with a couple of mates. When my Grandma arrived, and asked where I was, my Dad was mortified - he'd left me in my pram outside the butchers. I have no real memories of the game

1970 - I have an excellent long-term memory. I was 4 ..... I don't remember actually seeing any games but I do remember asking my Dad the scores and him vividly describing Banks' save. I remember being gutted when I realised we were no longer World Champs - it was all my existence had known up until now. I had wallpaper with all the nations football badges on and remember getting told off for scribbling on a couple of Deutsch Fussball Bund badges.

1974 - Remember most matches (we had a colour telly by now ! !) and remember sitting on the settee with a mate, Chris Marlow and watching the final. I remember feelings towards Gerd Muller such as "he shouldn't be that good, we beat them in the war, they shouldn't have good players". And I remember Sepp Maiers shorts, and thinking he was like a Gestapo member from Hogans Heroes. Surely West Germany were no more than a developing nation ! !

1978 - I was 12 by now; the disappointment of being an England fan was well developed. I do remember watching most matches, and those were the days when we would all support and follow Scotland, something I now refuse to do but which seemed normal then. Some of my mates had the dark blue Scotland shirt and I remember the badge was really heavy. Until recently, I still recalled every result and scorer and remember being disgusted by the Argies play acting in the final. Still recall Holland refusing to come out after the match in disgust. Also remember the ticker tape, and a TV news flash about a fan dying of a heart attack during the final. The BBC music was superb - we always preferred the Beebs coverage to ITV, and still do.

1982 - I was 16. All the early part of the year was spent planning a holiday in a tent to Northern Spain and attempts to get tickets (in the days when it was relatively easier to get them). Plans fell through due to O' Levels and lack of cash, but I recall most matches, most of which were watched in Steelers nightclub when we got invites to 6th formers parties, which seemed to be at least three nights a week. I remember Robsons early goal vs France and the constant though "its been sooooooooooooooooo long since we were World Champs". Little did I know I would be feeling that still as I approach 50. Keegans miss in the "must win" match stands out ........ disappointment tempered by holiday of a lifetime to Canada a month later which started my love affair with that Country. Remember following Northern Ireland for a bit too, and don't feel the same resentment even today towards following them that I do the Scots. Also remember the Falklands and wondering what would happen if we played the Argies. Cue ....

1986 - 20 years old - dead-end job and 3 or 4 years of drinking / pub culture meant I watched most matches in the Fiddlers Three pub. Most memories were of our oh-so-typically-80's kit and haircuts, and the realisation that I hated Diego Maradonna with a passion. Some decent games, and it was now ingrained that supporting England was like watching a team 20 years behind the times. Now 20 years since we won it, I kind of wished I had been left outside the Butchers again. Would we win it again in my lifetime ? Was seriously doubting it.

1990 - Probably the best yet. Still watched most games in the pub, and the whole Italia 90 experience, Englands performance and general feel-good factor. Stand-out random memory - the Grana Padana pitchside hoarding on the halfway line at most matches. Still the days before the internet, it took a few more years to know this was a cheese, not a political party as I first guessed. ( Similar way that I always thought GOURANGA was a motorway bridge manufacturer til the internet came along). Cheese, pfft ... we had only ever had Kraft cheese slices in our house. Watched the semi in the Fleece in Clayton; landlady was a lovely (and fit) woman, but I ruined any chance I had with my foul-mouthed reposte to her "cheer up Andy, it's only a game". I had a bad car crash the next morning (whilst pondering if we would ever win the World Cup in my lifetime). Made it to work where they got a pretty young 17 year-old checkout chick to take me on to hospital. We have been married 19 years in October.

1994 - Had lived with Checkout Chick a couple of years now - remember being pretty much underwhelmed by USA 94, although like most brits we sort of tagged on to Big Jacks Eire and all became paddies for a month. Except for the final, when I bought a rediculously cheap, tight replica Brazil kit.

1998 - Off we went to France on Andy Duggans "stag week" (ex-Red, famous only for his hand of God goal vs Hull many years earlier). Hoped to get tickets but instead spent a week in a quaint French village and had a good time. Was obviously annoying the Frogs doing so well, but generally a good tournament. Back home, I was working in Swansea for the Argie match and watched it in the hotel bar with a few other strangers. Sol Campbell scored - "years of heartache over" I dared to dream as I foolishly bought everyone a drink. Minutes later, they all sulked off to bed without returning the compliment. Our best tournament since 1990, but everytime we got anywhere near, it turns out other countries had also moved forward. Faster !

2002 - Again .... so close, but still the realisation that we were not close enough. We watched the England Brazil match where not for the first time I thought we had picked an over-the-hill keeper and it cost us (as Shilton had done previously). Rushed to Morecambe for an Uncles funeral after the game. Me and checkout chick had a 2 year old son by now - surely he would be interested come 2006 and he could carry the footballing mantle whislt I switched to Cricket or something we stood a chance of being good at ?

2006 - Quarter finals again ..... watched most of the tournament on holiday in Portugal, where both kids enjoyed dressing up and face-paint etc, but Tom couldn't really get "into it" in the way I had in 1970. My feeling was always "why have Germany got a major finals again ?". Coupled with "Will we ever win it in my lifetime ?". Remember thinking teams like Portugal, France, Spain and Germany (rejuvenated) were looking for more long-term prospects than we were.

2010 - At last, Tom fully "into it". Kits, balls of every colour, wall-charts ...... you name it, he was into it big style. Which made me "into it" too. Memories are of watching a lot of games at Barbecues, friends will a bigger wall-mounted Plasma telly than the previous friend and watching Toms face when Germany spanked us. He really did look like an image of me through all the previous tournaments ....... "Will we ever win this in my lifetime" he asked without having to speak the words.

2014 - my whole reason for writing this tome ........ until Tom mentioned last night "less than 20 days now Dad", I really hadn't given it much thought. I struggle to name the teams in our group, am not exactly au fait with the squad and have not even looked at kick-off times in order to arrange watching. Have bought no kit, flags, face paint, bought no booze or food, not really given it a second thought really. I watched a Gordon Banks interview the other day and thought "theres a legend - most of this squad earn more in a month than he earned in a career" ..... true gent, and even if we DO win it, I could never hold a modern footballer in the same regard as I did Messrs Banks and Moore. And here's the thing .... even with all my apathy towards Brazil 2014, I have a sneaky feeling in my water about Roys England. What a feeling to celebrate turing 50 next year knowing we are World Champs. Will end this by typing "Come on England" in the hope it gets the juices flowing and I can start to buy into this years tournament.

COME ON ENGLAND ! !

 

I bought a World Cup guide with wall chart yesterday

 

1998 - That Owen goal was incredible, as an 8 year old Owen was something else at that time, everyone at school wanted to be him & do what he was doing & it made me dream of us winning. Of course Beckham killed the dream with that petulant kick but I was genuinely excited & full of hope after that game that England would be a top side for years to come.

2002 - Devastated. Genuinely think we'd have won it if it wasn't for Seaman making a balls up off Ronaldinho's effort. The semi final line up was Turkey, South Korea & the worst German team I've ever seen who we'd smashed 5-1 a year earlier, it was there for the taking.

It still pains me to this day that despite playing against 10 men for the last half hour against Brazil we didn't test there keeper. That tournament may well be the best chance we'll get in my lifetime of winning it. I hope I'm wrong.

Cried my eyes out as the BBC played Oasis - Stop Crying Your Heart Out after we lost

2006 - Joke of a tournament. The team was built around Rooney & Beckham, two players who were clearly unfit after bad injuries & shouldn't have been there. Scholes had retired after been stuck on the left wing to accommodate Lampard in the middle & now we were doing the same with Gerrard. Absolutey ***** tactics from Eriksson. Eventually we went out to Portugal, some might say we were unlucky after Rooney's sending off but the football we played all tournament was awful. About the only bright spark was Hargreaves as a defensive midfielder. Unfortunately this was to be his last World Cup through injury.

2010 - More boring football. Another supposed top manager sticking Gerrard on the left wing & playing negative football.

We failed to top a very weak group & got what we deserved by having to play against the Germans in the last 16 who absolutely battered us regardless of Lampard's shot that crossed the line & wasn't given.

Spain were a joy to watch though & deserved the trophy, I'd say the Spanish were at their peak in this tournament.

2014 - Rooney finally has his first good World Cup, him & Sturridge finish joint top scorers on 6 a piece. Cahill J Jagielka look like Nesta & Canavarro, Johnson & Baines are like Cafu & Carlos & Lallana is our Iniesta. We win the World Cup by beating the Germans 4-1 & avenge our defeat to them at the last World Cup. Gerrard retires from international football after lifting the trophy & Rooney goes on a 2 week Freddie Flintoff style bender that ends with him having to be rescued from drowning after pinching a pedalo & getting dragged out to sea.

 

Great read that Andy.
My little lad is 8 months old. I've been collecting the stickers so I can show him the album when he's older. Thats my excuse anyway!

 

1986 - only 5 so can't remember
1990 - watched shoot out in caravan north coast
1994 - watched sporadically when could be bothered
1998 - watched in pub but only 17 so was steady
2002 - remember spending 27 hours in White Hart (Penistone) pub for one game, being chucked keys by landlord to open door at 5am and close them. Went home one early game at 9am next morning.
2006 - watched in The Bridge, Penistone mainly.
2010 - have Walkabout a go but as ever couldn't get a drink. Watched Germany game at mates BBQ.
2014 - likely mix of home/mates/pub

 

1994 - Was only two years old so can't remember any of it. England didn't qualify anyway so wouldn't be worthwhile commenting.


1998 - Six years old. Remember coming home from school and my mum had taped the Tunisia game. I was just finding my feet whether I liked football anyway so didn't sit down and watch it like I would with the later World Cup's (a bit of a hyper child). Cannot really remember many other group games. I later bought the VHS for the whole World Cup and could still sit down and watch it now to be honest as it was my first World Cup.

Remember sitting down with the family and watching England - Argentina. Whole family went mental when big Sol scored that goal and I didn't realise what was going on so cheered anyway. Also remember watching France - Paraguay which went to golden goal or whatever it was then. I've since watched the video and they weren't top quality they showed in the final.


2002- Ten years old. England wise I remember watching them beat Argentina 1-0. Remember my brother saying (as he was eight years old and into winding up my dad) said 'that's it, game over' as soon as Beckham scored that penalty. My dad went mad. Also remember turning up to school early watch both the Nigeria and Brazil matches. Cereal bars were free for some reason. I remember queuing outside to go back into class and a lad stood next to me said 'weve gone through because Argentina didn't win'.

2006 - 14 years old. This is when I wanted to watch and be out for every game. Spent the first two weeks of the competition in Tigaki in Zante I think. Remember the first game when Germany won 4-2 and Philip Lahm scored that beauty. Remember sitting in a packed Dutch bar when Beckham scored against Paraguay after fleeing an Aussie surf bar because there was no atmosphere. We was in the airport flying home when we beat Trinidad & Tobago and then watched the Sweden game at home, when Joe Cole scored that cracker. It was my cousin's birthday for the Portugal game and Rooney got sent off. I remember my cousin being distraught because he thought everyone was pissed off at his birthday BBQ (which they were).

2010 - 18 years old. This was probably the best year of my life so far (for obvious reasons), despite us failing at another World Cup and remember having a full time job coaching, wanting to see every match in pub and spend as much money as I could. Saw most games in pub when England weren't playing.

England wise wasn't too good as usual. Watched both the USA game and the Germany hammering at a BBQ at my girlfriend's house. Cannot really remember the Algeria game apart from Rooney gobbing off and rushed home from a sports day at a high school to see most of the Slovenia game. Remember getting picked up by a lass I just started working with and she dropped me off home. Rather have sit with her (or other things) then watch that *****. Also remember my brother skipping a GCSE exam to run two mile with his bag from school to catch the second half.


2014 - Will be 22 years old. Looking forward to the World Cup fantasy football, seeing England fail again, getting smashed most nights as my brother has just got a full time job and most of my mates have stayed at their location they went to uni in and the BBQ's.

 

1978-witnessed Kipper Jackson coin it in.

Wasd in There Paddy pub in Kendray, kipper took advantage of everyone wanting Holland to win.Don't,t how much he won, but it was a lot. He probably lost it all in the Bookies.